139 deleted voters reinstated after tribunal clearance
The Statesman | 23 April 2026
The names of about 139 voters of Bengal, which had previously been deleted by judicial officers while adjudicating cases from the “under adjudication” list as part of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, were restored to the electoral rolls today after being cleared by the appellate tribunal.
This revalidation confirms them as “valid voters” with the right to exercise their franchise in the first phase of polls tomorrow.
The Election Commission of India on Wednesday released the list of voters who regained their voting rights following tribunal hearings on petitions filed by individuals whose names had been struck off the list by judicial officers.
The Commission also informed that the tribunals have so far disposed of petitions from approximately 657 electors.
The list released today is a supplementary roll issued in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling in the SIR case. The Court had stated that names cleared by the tribunal ~ among the 27 lakh voters whose names were deleted ~ would be revalidated, thereby granting them the right to cast their ballots in the first phase.
While reinstating the names of about 139 voters, the tribunal also struck off the names of eight voters from among the 32 lakh previously cleared by judicial officers from the adjudication list.
The Election Commission of India had on 28 February published the final electoral roll for West Bengal, which saw more than 61 lakh voters being excluded.
However, the process had continued with about 60 lakh “doubtful and pending” cases remaining under adjudication based on their objections to their exclusions from the draft rolls published in December.
Several supplementary lists were released, in which the names of more voters have been included.
The process had concluded on 6 April after judicial officers adjudicated the 60 lakh claims and objections. However, voters who were removed during the adjudication process can appeal in 19 tribunals set up for the purpose.